


Checkmate

by light_penguin



Category: Supergirl (TV 2015)
Genre: F/F, Lena Luthor Doesn't Know Kara Danvers is Supergirl, SuperCorp, um i dont actually have any plot written out so this is gonna be an EXPERIENCE, y e t
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-04-14
Updated: 2017-05-06
Packaged: 2018-10-18 18:05:19
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 6
Words: 9,336
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/10622256
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/light_penguin/pseuds/light_penguin
Summary: Lex Luthor has escaped, and it's up to Supergirl and Lena Luthor to stop him before he brings ruin to National City. Supercorp.





	1. Chapter 1

Lena took a deep breath before leaning back in her chair, blinking blearily and holding back a yawn. She needed a break from the spreadsheets on her desk, from the numbers that were slowly blurring into unreadable messes and the words that were mixing into nonsense. A quick glance at the clock on her wall told her that she had worked late again—far later than she had intended to. It was nearly midnight, and she had wanted to be in bed two hours ago. So much for that.

With a sigh, Lena began to gather the spreadsheets together, stacking them into a neat pile and organizing them by date so that she could continue her work tomorrow morning. She missed the shadow that passed briefly behind her, and she jolted when she heard the soft knock at her balcony door. Lena spun around, eyes wide, and then her shoulders slumped and she let out a relieved sigh at the familiar sight of National City's resident superhero, who offered a sheepish smile at Lena.

Lena gestured for Supergirl to enter, and she did.

"Sorry," Supergirl said. "I didn't mean to startle you."

"Don't worry about it," Lena said, standing from her chair and making her way towards the superhero. Despite the alien's smile, Lena felt a pang of fear enter her as she considered why Supergirl was paying her a visit at this late of an hour. "Is… everything all right?"

Supergirl visibly hesitated, and her smile faltered. That air of confidence and strength flickered for just a moment, and for one second, Lena saw a hesitance and sadness that she'd only seen in her own eyes. She blinked, and the moment had passed; Supergirl placed her hands on her hips and frowned, once again the picture of authority and justice.

"No, it's not," Supergirl said, and Lena's breath caught in her throat. "Lex has escaped."

And Lena felt her knees go weak. Excusing herself, she made her way to her chair, falling into it as she ran a hand through her hair. She closed her eyes and took a deep breath, her brother's threats running through her mind, her fears of what he might do—she stopped that train of thought immediately. He was a madman, hellbent on eradicating all alien life on this planet. And she would stop him.

"You need my help." It wasn't a question.

Supergirl nodded. "You're the only one who might be able to give us any information about what his next move might be. Where he's hiding, who he might contact, when and where he might strike next—you're our only clue."

Lena felt a wry smile creep onto her lips, and she wondered if it was because she was actually a Luthor that she had been forced to live like this, to live a life where she could never escape her name, where she could never live a normal life, where she was always looking over her shoulder, where she always had to be one step ahead. Was this payment for her family's crimes? Would she always be forced to carry the weight of their atrocities in her nightmares, forced to face the aftermath of her family's fits of passion?

She shook herself from her thoughts and took a deep breath to gather herself. She opened her eyes and pretended not to notice the way Supergirl looked at her with pity. She stood, straightened her blouse and skirt, and then made her way to the chessboard that sat upon the table in the sitting area. She sat down on the couch next to it, eyeing the pieces left on the board.

So, Lex had escaped… With practiced movements, Lena moved the pieces on the board around, quickly, her mind running through scenarios and possibilities and probabilities and finally, finally, settling after she had moved several pieces. At some point, Supergirl had made her way over, and was watching the board with a frown, considering the moves with a look of confusion on her face.

Lena leaned back, staring hard at the board, considering their options.

"What's our next move?" Supergirl asked, and Lena sighed.

"Unless you know the location of CADMUS' base of operations, I'm afraid there's not much we can do, Supergirl," Lena acknowledged.

"We don't," Supergirl replied with a frown. "Do we know anything?"

"A bit. He'll seek refuge with dear Mother, wherever she is," Lena said, gesturing to the white Queen. "He's been locked up for a long time. He'll have a plan that he'll want to execute, if it wasn't in place before he was imprisoned. It will take some time for him to gather his resources, but once he does… he'll strike."

"What do you mean by strike? As in…"

Lena nodded. "He'll attack here. National City. He'll want a test run before going up against Superman." She couldn't meet Supergirl's eyes.

Supergirl crossed her arms. "And I'm the test run?"

Lena nodded, biting her lip as she gathered the courage to meet Supergirl's eyes. They were narrowed, and a crinkle in her brow promised she was concerned; the shadow in her eyes hinted at an anger that Lena wasn't sure she ever wanted to see.

"You're the test run," Lena confirmed. "Lex may be a genius, but he has certain… tendencies. Before he announced new products, he would check personally to be sure that they worked properly, that they functioned as intended. Whatever he's planning, he'll hit National City first. If he can best you, he'll know that he can fight Superman." A laugh spilled out of her, and Lena shook her head. "And if he can kill his traitor of a sister at the same time, that's an added bonus. It will remind the world that anybody who sympathizes with aliens will face his wrath."

"Lena," Supergirl said, and her hand came to rest on Lena's shoulder. "I won't let that happen. We'll stop him. Together."

Lena bit her lip, then nodded. "Of course," she said. "We can't let Lex and his madness hurt any one else."

Supergirl squeezed Lena's shoulder gently before letting her hand fall to her side again. "So he'll try to attack either you or me."

"Me," Lena said. "Lex knows how you and your cousin operate. If someone is in trouble, you'll be there shortly; but unless someone is in trouble, you're hard to track down. I, on the other hand, am the CEO of L-Corp—nine times out of ten, I'll be here, in my office. I'm easy to find. Once he finds me, he'll use me as bait to draw you out."

Supergirl shook her head. "I'm not letting you be put in danger, anymore. If that's what he's going to do, I'll stay by your side. The government agency I work with can put a twenty-four hour security detail on you, and they can keep you safe."

Lena shook her head. "He's too smart for that. He'll notice your people following me around. He'll just plan around it. The guards will change shifts at some point, right? Or he could just kill them all at once—that would be the simplest solution, for him." Lena ground her teeth at the thought of her brother's blasé attitude towards murder, at the lengths she knew he would be willing to go to to kill her. "I don't want anybody getting hurt because of me."

Supergirl let out a groan. "Lena, that's really admirable. But you need to stay safe. We need a plan."

Lena quirked a brow. "Who says I don't have one?"

Supergirl sputtered, her hands floundering at her sides, and Lena couldn't help it—seeing the Girl of Steel flapping her hands uselessly and working her mouth—she laughed. "I'm sorry," she said through her laughter, "you're right. I don't have a plan." She managed to contain her mirth and cleared her throat. "But that's why you're here, aren't you? We can come up with one together."

Supergirl nodded. "Yeah." Then she tilted her head slightly. "Well, not just you and me. If you're okay with it, I'd like to take you to the DEO headquarters, and we can work with other people to come up with a solution."

Lena glanced at the clock. Well past midnight. She had work in the morning. So much for sleep.

With a nod, Lena followed Supergirl to the balcony. With careful, precise movements, Supergirl took Lena into her arms, and then they shot off into the sky.


	2. Chapter 2

After signing what felt like hundreds of NDA papers and agreements, Lena was finally allowed to be escorted into the DEO proper by Supergirl. The hallways Lena had been led through had been sparse, devoid of anyone save for the occasional agent who was acting as security. When Supergirl opened the main doors, it was immediately obvious that the bulk of the DEO operations likely occurred here, where the walls were lined with monitors displaying various readings, computers ran sophisticated programs, and agents dressed in full gear walked with haste across the room, conversing with one another. Of course the agents were running around, despite the late hour; Lex Luthor was loose. And it seemed like this agency was making it a priority to find him and stop him from enacting any hazardous plans.

In the center of the commotion stood a man Lena had never seen before, giving orders in a calm but commanding tone. Beside him, typing furiously at his computer, sat a young man Lena recognized from her gala—the young man who'd helped get her device operational. He was Kara's friend. And next to him stood a young woman Lena recognized: Alex Danvers, Kara's sister. It was to these three that Supergirl lead her.

"J'onn, Lena's here," Supergirl said, smiling encouragingly at Lena, who had crossed her arms in discomfort.

The stern looking man appraised her, and Lena forced a smile onto her face, uncrossed her arms, and stood tall, offering her hand. "Lena Luthor. I'm happy to help catch Lex in any way I can."

The man observed her for a moment more before taking her hand in a firm shake. "J'onn J'onzz, Director of the DEO. We're glad to have the help," he said. And though he didn't smile, Lena felt as if she had passed some sort of test, as if this man, at least, would not question her allegiance.

"You already know Alex," Supergirl said, gesturing towards Kara's sister. Alex wasn't frowning, but Lena got the distinct impression that she didn't particularly trust Lena. She'd hoped that, because of Lena's friendship with Kara and her previous actions that had helped save aliens, Alex wouldn't be one to hold the last name of Luthor against her; it seemed she was wrong, and the thought made Lena's heart constrict just a bit.

"Kara trusts you," Alex said, "And I trust Kara."

"Hi!" chirped the young man at the computer who Lena had recognized. He'd swiveled around in his chair and stood, offering his hand with an almost sheepish grin on his face. "I'm Winn. Winn Schott. We uh, we've met before, at the uh, the—"

"At the gala," Lena said, "I remember."

Winn's grin widened. "Oh. Oh! Cool." Winn opened his mouth to speak, but wasn't able to finish, as a voice spoke over his.

"Now that the introductions are out of the way," J'onn said, interrupting whatever it was Winn was about to say, "we should come up with a plan to apprehend Lex Luthor and put him back behind bars."

Supergirl nodded. "Lena has some ideas. Maybe if you share what we know, she'll be able to figure out more."

"Of course," J'onn said, and he turned to Winn. "Mr. Schott, why don't you get Ms. Luthor up to date?"

Within seconds, Winn was back at his computer, clacking away and pulling up data on the screen so that Lena could look over his shoulder and follow along as he began to explain. "Ooookay. Well, we were able to figure out how he escaped, thanks to Maggie—do you know Maggie?—sorry, Alex, sorry, sidetracked. Um, the police found a guard who'd been drugged the night before at his apartment. Someone stole his uniform, his pass card, the whole shebang, and they went inside the prison and uploaded a virus to the mainframe. The whole prison's systems went down for approximately uh, two hundred and thirty two minutes, which is like, almost four hours, and there was a huge riot by the prisoners, and in the commotion, whoever broke in was able to sneak Lex out into an armored truck that was waiting outside. They uh, they drove off, and the truck was found abandoned about two miles away, in the middle of nowhere."

Lena took in the information with a nod. "Helicopter?" she asked, and Winn nodded.

"Yeah, we think he got away by helicopter from that point. So, I hacked into—I mean, I uh, I retrieved information by some very legal means—"

"Winn," Alex said with a glower, and Winn shifted uncomfortably in his chair. Lena couldn't help but be amused by the exchange, and a pang of jealousy hit her; the ease of the exchange hinted at the level of comfort the two felt around one another, an almost sibling-like relationship that had Lena recalling similar situations from her own past with Lex. She banished the feeling.

"Right, sidetracked, sorry. So, uh, I looked at some air traffic reports, to see if there were any records of unidentified aircrafts. Came up with nothing. Nada." He seemed rather put out by this.

"May I?" Lena asked, gesturing at the computer.

"Uhh…" Winn glanced at J'onn, who nodded, and Winn vacated his chair and allowed Lena into it. Immediately, Lena began typing furiously, and opened various windows.

"What's that?" Supergirl asked, leaning over Lena's shoulder, her hair brushing Lena's neck, sending a shiver through her as her heartrate picked up ever so slightly.

"You don't get to be CEO of a high-tech company without learning a few tricks," Lena said, biting her lip in concentration. "I had one of my teams working on a program that would search for data that's been corrupted by a virus and restore it quickly. It's not perfect, but for something like this, it should be satisfactory." After another minute, the computer beeped, and Lena leaned back with a satisfied smile at the data that was displayed before her. A quick glance at Supergirl's furrowed brow told her that the hero had no idea what it meant, but a squeak from her other side told her that Winn recognized it immediately.

"Omigod, that's brilliant," Winn breathed as he glanced over the information.

"I like to think so," Lena said with a grin as she stood up and let Winn take over.

"What do those numbers mean?" Supergirl asked, curiosity gleaming in her eyes.

"It's air traffic information. Information that was corrupted by a virus last night. Likely at the same time that Lex made his escape," Lena explained before letting out a sigh. "Mother's trying to hide his tracks."

Supergirl looked thoughtful. "Is there a way to find out where the virus came from? Like, who sent it?"

"Lookin' into it right now," Winn said. His computer dinged—like a microwave, Lena thought, amused. "Actually, done lookin' into it! It came from… let me pull up a street view of the location… Oh."

"Oh?" Alex questioned, moving closer to take a look at the screen. When she saw, she raised her eyebrows. "Oh."

Lena closed her eyes and rubbed at the bridge of her nose. "Of course," she muttered darkly.

Displayed on Winn's monitor was the L-Corp building.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is the part where you insert dramatic music, right? So, I've been brainstorming some ideas for this fic. I think it'll be roughly around 10 chapters, give or take a few. My only exposure to Supergirl is the show, so I might get some things wrong compared to the other incarnations. I didn't edit this, so let me know if there are any distracting issues. This is my first time posting fic on AO3, so you'll have to put up with me figuring out the formatting and the tags and all that stuff (i'm not that great with technology).
> 
> Anyway, if there's something you want to see, let me know, and I'll see if I can work it into the story. Thanks for reading! :)


	3. Chapter 3

"That… can't be right," Supergirl said with a frown. She met Lena's eyes, and she shook her head. "There's no way. It must be like the last time—someone must have framed you."

Lena let out a breath. "No… this data shouldn't be wrong," she admitted.

"Are you saying your program didn't work, or are you saying what I think you're saying?" Alex asked, and Lena turned to face Kara's sister, who was watching her with narrowed eyes. Those eyes set Lena on edge; she faced the mistrust bestowed on her because of her name on a daily basis, and she hated it. Did she have to face it here, too, even while Supergirl stood next to her, never doubting her for a second?

Lena pressed her lips together and crossed her arms. "It means someone uploaded the virus from inside my building. I'll go through the security tapes, see what I can find."

"I can do that!" Winn chimed in from his computer, "I can do that remotely from here. If, uh, if that's okay."

Lena nodded, and he quickly pulled up the security footage from the previous night, at the exact time the virus was uploaded. Lena directed him to cross-reference the cameras with whoever had been clocked in at that time, and the results were narrowed down to two people: herself, and Alana, her secretary from downstairs. Winn pulled up the security footage, and Lena watched, her lip curling in disgust at what she saw unfolding.

_Alana sat at her computer, typing quickly. She inserted a flash drive, and the words 'traffic virus' were clear on the screen. After a few moments, Alana removed the flash drive and pocketed it, then turned off her computer. She opened her desk and pulled out her phone, and then she called someone. "I've uploaded the virus, ma'am," Alana said. "Yes. Of course, Mrs. Luthor." Then she hung up, retrieved her purse and coat, and left the building._

Winn paused the footage and shook his head. "I think that's enough," he said, glancing nervously at Lena, possibly worried about her reaction to finding out one of her employees had been working for her mother.

It had been Alana… Lena would never have guessed the curt but efficient secretary could be working with her mother. There had never been any signs; Alana had been a bit of a loner, but she'd never done anything to arouse any suspicions.

"Who's she?" Supergirl asked.

"A secretary. Alana Williams," Lena replied.

There was the furious typing of keys clacking, and then Winn said, "Yeah, nope. That's not her real name. Her real name's Karen Jackson, a known CADMUS supporter."

J'onn cut in. "Do you have an address?"

With a nod, Winn pointed to his screen, at the address listed. "That's her last known address. But she disappeared about six months ago, hasn't been seen or heard from since."

"I hired her six months ago," Lena said quietly, still reeling from the shock of discovering that one of her own employees was actually working for her mother.

"She must've gotten in contact with CADMUS before then, and she's working for them, now," Alex said. "If we find her, we can find CADMUS."

"We have an address for her on file at L-Corp," Lena offered. "But it might be fake."

"It's a start," Supergirl said, and she turned to J'onn. "I'm going to check it out."

J'onn crossed his arms. "It could be a trap," he cautioned.

Supergirl put her hands on her hips, and Lena was once again reminded that Supergirl wasn't just her friend—she was the most powerful woman on the planet. "I know," she said, "But it's all we have to go on."

"I'm coming, too," Alex said with absolutely no hesitation.

"Alex—" Supergirl began, but Alex gave her an impatient look.

"If it's a trap, you'll need backup," Alex explained, and after a moment's hesitation, Supergirl agreed.

"All right," J'onn said. "Winn, pull up the address that L-Corp has on file for this woman. Supergirl will survey the area, and Alex will lead a team to aid in that capacity."

Alex nodded, and then walked off, calling out to a few agents to gather their gear as she, presumably, went to retrieve her own and prepare for the search.

Supergirl looked over Winn's shoulder as he pulled up the address, and then she made to leave.

"Supergirl—" Lena said, her voice catching as the blonde hero turned to face her, head tilted in a way that reminded Lena of Kara Danvers' questioning look. "Be careful," she said, suddenly breathless, and Supergirl nodded. Then she turned and flew off, and Lena let out a breath she didn't know she'd been holding. It never ceased to amaze her that someone like Supergirl existed; that she could fly, that she held such power, and that she used it for selfless good every day. 

"She's pretty cool, huh?" Winn said, startling Lena. His grin was infectious, and Lena found herself smiling in response.

"Yeah," Lena said, "she really is."

"Guess you could call her… pretty super, huh?" Winn said, wiggling his eyebrows, and Lena let out a short laugh.

"That was pretty terrible," she said, and Winn raised his hands.

"Yeah, yeah it was pretty bad," he admitted. "But it got you to laugh, which means you appreciate puns, good or bad—and that means we're gonna get along just fine."

For the first time since she'd arrived at the DEO, Lena felt as if she wasn't being judged for her last name. Winn, it seemed, couldn’t care less, as he began to talk about his favorite show with seemingly zero misgivings.

And despite her own cautious nature, she found herself letting her guard down around Winn. Within minutes, they were engaged in a heated discussion about the nature of time travel. When she found herself smiling, Lena paused, shocked to find that she was actually enjoying herself. That was unexpected, but not unwelcome.

They had just begun to brainstorm ideas about how to construct a time machine when Supergirl's voice came over the comms.

"It's empty. Well, I think it's empty. There's some lead inside, so I can't be sure," she said.

"Supergirl, do not enter that house until Alex and her team are there. They're only five minutes out," J'onn said.

"Okay," Supergirl said, and the comms went silent again.

"Lead?" Lena asked, and Winn made a humming noise.

"Yeah. X-ray vision—can't see through lead."

"Do you think it's a trap, then?" Lena asked, worried for Supergirl. CADMUS probably knew that Supergirl couldn’t see through lead—so the fact that there was lead in Alana's house might indicate that it was a trap.

"It might be," J'onn said, startling Lena. "But that's why Alex and her team are there. If there's Kryptonite behind that lead, they'll take over and get Supergirl to safety."

"What if it's a bomb?" Lena asked, her mind racing through increasingly horrible possible scenarios. "What if it's a bomb with Kryptonite casing? If Supergirl gets too close—"

"Ms. Luthor," J'onn said, and a steady hand was placed on her shoulder. She looked into dark eyes that were calming, and Lena swallowed. "Alex will take care of Supergirl. Make no mistake. We won't let anything happen to her."

Lena nodded, and tucked a strand of hair behind her ear. "Right. Of course."

"That said, you bring up a valid concern," J'onn said. "Winn, why don't you scan the area from here, and let us know if there's anything strange that comes up in the readings."

"Can do," Winn said, and he set to work. After a few minutes, he gave them a thumbs up. "Negativo. Nothing unusual. No weird heat signatures, no weird radiation signals, nothing. Should be good to go."

Lena's shoulders sagged in relief, her fears assuaged. "Thank you," she said quietly, and Winn shrugged.

"No need for thanks, Lena," he said, "it's part of the job."

A voice over the intercoms sounded—Alex. "We're on site," she stated, and Lena stood straighter, tension in her shoulders as Winn pulled up a live feed from one of the cameras installed on agents' gear. "Ready when you are, Supergirl,"

"Let's do this," Supergirl said, her voice filled with a surety about her actions that Lena wished she could share in.

Supergirl used her heat vision on the lock, melting it, and the front door opened quietly. The team entered behind Supergirl, and they canvased the house. Supergirl pointed towards the bedroom. "That’s the room that's lined with lead."

Alex nodded, gesturing for some other agents to accompany her. They entered the room, Alex in the lead, gun raised. Inside came the startled voice of Alana, and then the agents were moving. In moments, Alex and the others had apprehended the woman. Supergirl glanced around the room, arms crossed.

"We've got her," Alex announced. "The room's clear. We'll start looking through everything here to see what we can find."

"Great work, Agent Danvers," J'onn said, and Lena couldn't help but notice the way he smiled ever so slightly, his words tinged with pride. "You too, Supergirl."

What she wouldn't have given to have heard her mother tell her those words after any of her accomplishments. Years ago, those were words Lena had worked tirelessly in the vain hope to hear; now, she knew she would only hear those words when they were spoken to others. They would never be directed at her. Not now that the Lex she once knew was gone.

A whoosh of air caused Lena to return to the present, to the return of Supergirl. Her eyes met Lena's, and Lena quirked a brow.

"Well done, Supergirl," she said.

"Thanks. You, too, Lena; we wouldn't have caught her without your help."

Lena shrugged. "It's the least I can do."

Supergirl looked like she wanted to protest, but when Lena covered her mouth and yawned, the supehero's eyes went wide. "Oh, my gosh, you have work tomorrow! Or—oh, no, it's already two in the morning, and you have to be in early, don't you." The way she was rambling reminded Lena fondly of Kara, and she smiled.

"It's fine," Lena said, dismissing Supergirl's worries with a wave of her hand. "I don't need much sleep. Besides, I'm having brunch with a friend; I'll just be sure to order extra coffee to help me through the day."

Supergirl moved a strand of hair out of her face, and avoided Lena's eyes. "Ah. Of course. Brunch." The superhero then turned to J'onn. "Hey, is it all right if I take Lena home? She has work in a few hours, and she should probably get some sleep, you know?"

J'onn nodded. "Yes, that sounds like a good idea." He approached Lena, appraising her with a wrinkle in his brow. "Ms. Luthor, you helped us out a lot. For that, we're grateful."

"I'm happy to help," Lena said. "Let me know if there's anything else I can do."

"There is, actually," J'onn said. "I'd like for you to come in at least twice a week, to help us in our search for your brother. You know him the best, and your insight will be invaluable as we move forward with our operation."

"Anything you need. Once Lex is back in prison, we'll all sleep a little easier," Lena said. J'onn's eyes narrowed at that, but he nodded.

"Well, then, I think your ride is getting impatient."  
Lena turned to see a bashful Supergirl. "I… I'm not being impatient," Supergirl assured Lena, and Lena couldn't help but laugh a little at that.

Lena excused herself, said her goodbyes to the agents near her, and made her way back to Supergirl's side.

"Are you ready to go home, now?" Supergirl asked, and Lena nodded.

"More than ready. It's been a long day," Lena said with a sigh.

"Tell me about it," Supergirl said. She carefully took Lena in her arms, and then they were off, flying into the cool night air that sent a shiver through Lena, despite her coat.

Lena had always hated flying. Whether by plane or helicopter, the fear of falling, of not being able to do anything about it as she plunged to her death, had always made her wary of being in any vehicle that flew. But, wrapped in Supergirl's arms, she felt… safe. That fear of falling was absent; if she fell, Supergirl would catch her.

It was a kind of trust she shared with few others. It was strange. She trusted this alien, this woman who she hardly knew, with her life. And all because of the woman's desire to help others, of the suit and cape she wore.

They touched down lightly on the balcony to Lena's apartment, and Supergirl set Lena on her feet gently.

"I didn't realize you knew which room was mine," Lena teased, and Supergirl blushed.

"I fly by, sometimes. Just to… make sure you're all right. I don't look in, or anything," she hurried to add as Lena's eyes widened. "I just… listen for your heartbeat. That's all. Once I know you're okay, I leave. Gosh, now I sound like some kind of stalker. I can stop, if you want, and I mean, I would—"

"No," Lena said. "No. That's… I appreciate it. You looking out for me. You don't have to."

"I do," Supergirl said. She cleared her throat and nodded towards the doors behind Lena. "Can you get inside?"

Lena offered an amused smile before walking towards the door that led to her balcony and opening it. "I don’t exactly lock this door. It's twenty stories up," she said.

Supergirl frowned. "I… okay, I guess that's… a valid reason to keep it open."

"For normal people, yes," Lena said. She sighed. "Maybe I should get in the habit of locking it. Things might get crazy in the upcoming weeks, what with… with Lex."

Supergirl's eyes watched Lena with a sadness in them that Lena was sure were mirrored in her own eyes. "If you ever need someone to talk to," Supergirl said, "I'm here."

Lena smiled. "Thank you," she said. But she knew that if she needed to talk to someone, it wouldn't be Supergirl who she called first. Despite trusting the alien with her life, Supergirl was still an enigma, a woman who Lena couldn't trust with her feelings and thoughts.

There was only one woman who she trusted that much. And she wasn't Supergirl.

"Good night, Supergirl," Lena said.

"Good night, Lena."

Lena watched as Supergirl flew into the sky. She stared at the stars long after Supergirl had vanished, off to save the world. When the chill of the night air finally got to be too much for her, Lena went inside, and slept.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> i've got finals coming up, but hopefully i can update weekly from now on. i got a little excited for these first chapters and i've just kinda been sporadically writing/updating them. i'll be more consistent, probably once a week.
> 
> also i had to go in and re-add the italics what ao3 pls


	4. Chapter 4

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> i got INSPIRED by 2x18 so here, have some somewhat angsty/fluffy stuff that is (very) reminiscent of that ep. Hope you enjoy.

Of course, somehow, the media caught wind of what had happened, and Lena had been holed up in her office since the morning, when her security guards had to force their way through the crowd of reporters and gawkers and yelling protesters to make a path for her to safely enter her building. She had turned on the television once she'd made it upstairs, only to find her own face staring back at her, the word 'Luthor' screaming at her in blinding yellow from the screen, and she quickly turned it off, putting down the remote before running a hand through her hair.

She'd thrown herself into her work, though the dozens of memos and spreadsheets and emails were mostly routine or courtesies. She'd sifted through most of them already, responded to the urgent ones, and there was nothing left that needed her immediate attention. But there were budgets to look over, reports to read, and so she busied herself with those—anything to keep her mind off of what was going on outside of her office. Her building was her fortress, her shelter from the storm that weathered outside. This imagined protection of the walls around her was like a bubble, she knew, one that would be quick to burst once she had to leave and face the outside world. But for now, she would pretend that she was just a woman doing her job; she would forget her name, her family, if only for a few hours.

She had just finished looking over one of L-Corp's pending permits for a new bio-technology endeavor when a knock sounded on her door, and in walked Kara Danvers, a look of concern clouding her usually sunny demeanor. Touting a paper bag and a small purse that matched her dark pants and light blue button up shirt, and sporting her usual ponytail, Kara was stunning in her simple attire. She moved to close the door behind her, and Lena found herself already on her feet, moving towards the other woman.

"Hey," Lena said, her lips turning up in a smile at the sight of her best and only friend in National City. 

Kara adjusted her glasses, smiled, and offered Lena the bag in her hands. "I brought donuts," Kara said.

Lena took the proffered bag with a quirk of her brow and said with a teasing lilt in her voice, "This is becoming somewhat of a tradition, it seems."

"I wish it didn't have to be," Kara said, her smile fading just a bit. Then her eyes widened, and she hurried to elaborate, her words coming out in a rush. "I mean, I do love spending time with you, and eating donuts is always fantastic, but I just wish you weren't always having to deal with… all this," she finished lamely, gesturing vaguely around them.

Lena bit her lip and fiddled with the end of the paper bag, then sighed and met Kara's eyes. "I wish that every day," she admitted quietly. Then she straightened and beckoned Kara to the couch in her room, and the pair sat side by side. Kara had gotten Lena a chocolate glazed donut, "Because it's your favorite," while she herself had gotten a strawberry one with sprinkles.

As Lena began ripping a piece of her donut off to eat, Kara cleared her throat. "How are… how are you holding up?" she asked.

Lena shrugged, her appetite suddenly gone, and she twirled the piece of donut between her thumb and forefinger. She took a deep breath, searching for the right words to describe the swirl of emotions that had settled in her chest the previous night, when Supergirl had told her that Lex had escaped.

"I don't think… I don't think it's really hit me, yet, you know?" Lena said. "My brother, the mass murdering, alien-hating, criminal mastermind, has just escaped prison. And I know he's planning something. I know he's going to hurt people—he's going to try to attack Supergirl, and he won't care who stands in his way. And here I am, looking over budgets and net income and stock prices, as if nothing's changed." Kara placed a comforting hand on Lena's shoulder, and Lena leaned into the warm touch.

"Supergirl came to me last night to let me know; the government asked for my help to catch him. One of my own secretaries was working with CADMUS, and I had no idea. Absolutely none." She put her donut on top of the napkin Kara had given her, then angled herself so that she was facing the blonde better. "I keep thinking, how could I have missed that? How could I have missed it, that a woman was lying to my face every day? How could I not have seen who she really was?"

Kara's eyes widened, and she fiddled with her glasses as she put her donut on her own napkin. "You couldn't have known," she said, avoiding Lena's eyes. "There was no way for you to know she was actually working for your mother."

"But I should have known," Lena insisted. Her hands balled into fists in her lap, and anger spilled into her words, anger at CADMUS, at Alana, her mother, her brother. "I should have been able to see through it. And I didn't." She shook her head, and let out a shaky breath before asking, "What if a part of me just didn't want to see? Is it so wrong, so stupid and naïve, to hope that the people you choose to surround yourself with aren't evil?" 

Kara was quiet, and Lena took a deep breath. "I'm sorry," she said, "that was a bit much—"

"Don't be sorry, Lena," Kara said softly, taking Lena's hands in her own, letting Lena's fists uncurl and slowly lacing her fingers through Lena's. "You're allowed to be upset, and angry, and whatever else you're feeling right now. And it wasn't your fault. Alana fooled everyone, but you're not to blame for her actions; she is, and CADMUS is behind this. Not you."

Lena almost scoffed; CADMUS being behind things didn't absolve her of missing what was right in front of her, of doing nothing while Alana freed her brother from prison and kept an eye on Lena for Lillian—it didn't free Lena from her last name, not while Lillian and Lex were alive and out there, surely plotting something nefarious. But Kara squeezed her hand gently, and those bright, blue eyes sought out Lena's, and the sincerity in them made Lena forget about her worries and let her believe that, maybe, maybe, Kara was right. Maybe she wasn't to blame.

"And, for the record," Kara said, looking at their hands and rubbing her thumb in circles on Lena's hand, "hoping for the best in people isn't stupid or naïve. It means that the future you want to see is one filled with good people, one where we never lie or keep secrets, where everyone loves each other." Kara looked up again, the slightest crinkle in her brow that meant she was serious, that she meant what she was saying. "It's a beautiful thing, to believe in someone."

Lena swallowed, closing her eyes and enjoying the sensation of Kara's thumb tracing circles on her hand. When she opened her eyes, she beamed at Kara, who offered a small smile back. "How is it that you always know what to say to help cheer me up?" Lena teased.

Kara shrugged. "I'm your friend. That's what we're here for. That, and," she said, removing her hands from Lena's after a quick squeeze and picking up her donut, "to bring some really, really tasty donuts that you should definitely eat, since you probably skipped lunch." She gestured to Lena's donut. "C'mon—I promise they're good. And if you don't eat it, who will?"

A chuckle escaped Lena at that. "You. You'll eat it if I don’t, Kara," Lena said as she picked up her donut and tore off a piece.

"Exactly!" Kara said through a mouthful of donut. "And I already ate, like, five, so please, please don't let your best friend eat six of those really fried, really unhealthy pastries of deliciousness in one hour."

"I've seen you eat two orders of potstickers, a whole box of pizza, and half a gallon of ice cream in one sitting—and yet you still have the figure of an athlete. I think you'll be fine, even if you ate mine," Lena laughed.

"I… okay, that's true," Kara admitted, a blush coloring her cheeks. "But, in my defense, I skipped lunch that day."

The conversation turned into an easy back and forth, and once they'd finished their donuts, they kept talking, sharing stories from their college years that had the two laughing until they cried. Once their laughter finally settled down, Lena found herself leaning towards Kara, her heartbeat picking up as Kara glanced at her and launched into another round of giggles. And when a familiar warmth spread to her cheeks and she found herself glancing down at Kara's lips, Lena froze.

She forced herself to lean back, and she cleared her throat. "Kara, I really appreciate you coming here," she told her friend. "It means a lot. Having someone to talk to, someone like you who listens and understands… it means the world to me."

"I'll always be here for you," Kara said. "If you ever need someone to talk to, I'm here."

Lena's breath caught in her throat as Kara echoed Supergirl's words. They were the same words, delivered with the same inflection. But somehow, with Kara, the words were real—they meant something, they were a promise. 

"Thank you," Lena said, and when she stood, Kara mirrored her. "I mean it."

"That's what friends are for," Kara said with a smile, and she opened her arms. Without a moment of hesitation, Lena stepped into the embrace, and as they hugged, Lena buried her face into Kara's neck, hugging her for all she was worth. She'd been carried in Supergirl's arms, she'd had Supergirl shield her from bullets and save her life—but nothing compared to how secure Lena felt in Kara's embrace; like she was home.

"That's what friends are for," Lena agreed.


	5. Chapter 5

When Supergirl came to visit her in the evening, Lena couldn't say she was surprised.

"Supergirl," she said in way of greeting as the Girl of Steel hovered across the railing of her balcony.

"Lena," Supergirl said. "We need you to come in. We might have something."

Lena had planned on going home, changing into an oversized shirt and sweatpants, and watching something mindless on Netflix; maybe she would have taken a leaf from Kara's book and try to eat as much ice cream as she could stomach. There went her plans for the night. She nodded, and Supergirl took Lena into her arms and flew her to the DEO headquarters, where they touched down lightly.

Lena ran a hand through her windswept hair as Supergirl marched towards the others, who were gathered near Winn's computer screen.

"Lena's here," Supergirl announced, and J'onn, Alex, and Winn turned around in unison.

"Hey, Lena!" Winn said with a grin and a wave.

Alex was silent and frowning, but when their eyes met, Alex gave her a nod in greeting.

J'onn quirked a brow and nodded. "Ms. Luthor," he said. "We managed to get some information from Karen Jackson regarding CADMUS' next move."

Alana. They'd gotten Alana to talk. Lena could hardly believe it.

"What did she say?" Lena asked.

"They're hiding out in the desert canyons," Alex said, crossing her arms, "Or, at least, that's what Alana let slip. She wouldn't confirm it, when pressed; she's too loyal to CADMUS."

Lena didn't miss the undertone, the insinuation in Alex's voice. Alana was loyal CADMUS. She was loyal to Lena's mother. "Lillian can be… inspiring," Lena said, "Or so I've been told." By colleagues, by family friends. Lena had never been inspired in the same way; her mother's words always rang false—too cold, too harsh, too biting. The only thing she'd ever inspired in Lena was a desperation to be loved, to be told that she was good, to be told that she mattered.

Winn cleared his throat. "Well, I was able to narrow down the area to a fifty mile radius, based off of where the canyons might be able to sustain a large operation. So that's…" he pulled up a map on his computer and pointed to an area circled in red, "this area, here."

"We've sent out teams to do some scouting of the area. But it will take time to find them," J'onn explained. "Once our teams come back and report with their findings, we'll be able to assess the situation from there and determine our next course of action."

Lena frowned. "Can we trust Alana? What she said?" she asked. She glanced at the others, all of them frowning.

"No," Alex admitted. "But it's the only information we have to go off of."

Lena crossed her arms, frowning. "It doesn't make sense," she said. "Lex had to know she would get caught if she didn't leave. But she was still at her house when you found her."

"Maybe we were just lucky?" Winn asked, though the way his voice tapered off near the end of his sentence suggested that even he didn't believe it.

Lena's eyes widened as realization hit. "You need to withdraw your agents. Now."

"What?" Alex asked, incredulous.

"Please—you have to trust me," Lena said, "They're in danger."

"Ms. Luthor, our agents are trained operatives. They risk their lives every day. They knew this mission was dangerous when they accepted it," J'onn said. "We have taken precautions to ensure their safety—"

"Lex knew we would be after him. If you don't withdraw your agents right now, they are going to die," Lena insisted. "Please. Get them out of there," she pleaded. Her eyes roamed over the faces of the group, from Alex's suspicious frown to J'onn's narrowed eyes and pursed lips, to Winn's wide eyes, to Supergirl's furrowed brow, so like Kara's—wait, what? Lena didn't have time to follow that train of thought, because Supergirl spoke.

"We should listen to her," Supergirl said, planting her feet squarely on the ground and standing tall.

J'onn nodded. "All right. You know your brother best, Ms. Luthor. If you say it's a trap, I'll trust your judgement." He moved past them, barking orders at other agents before sending out a transmission to the teams in the field to withdraw immediately.

When the teams had gotten free of the area, Lena let go of a breath she didn't know she'd been holding.

"So, how do you propose we search the area now that our teams can't go in?" Alex asked. Lena wasn't sure, but she thought she saw a bit of respect mixed into the glance that Alex gave her.

"I might be able to help with that," she said. "Winn, may I?" she asked, gesturing towards his computer.

"It's all yours. Uh—just, don't close any of the programs I have running. They're kinda important," Winn said as he stood and let her take his chair.

As she began typing in passwords, she spoke. "I got the idea from when we first met, actually," she said, glancing over her shoulder quickly and giving Supergirl a quick smile. "I had a team working on drones that would search for weapons. The idea was have them search for hidden mines left behind in battlefields, but they should also work for this."

"Are they… will they be able to find a hidden base?" Supergirl asked from over Lena's shoulder, and Lena almost started from surprise at the unexpected proximity. She hadn't noticed Supergirl get this close; her hair grazed Lena's shoulder, tickling at the base of her neck, and she shivered from the contact.

"They should be able to. Their scanners are far superior to the ones on the market right now. The military even asked for them," Lena explained.

"The military?" Alex said. "Did you…?"

Lena paused what she was doing for a second to meet Alex's eyes. "Did I give them access to technology that they could use to kill thousands?" Alex had the grace to look sheepish. Lena sighed. "No. I declined their offer. I don't want L-Corp getting involved with the military." L-Corp already has enough blood to its name; no need to add the military's, as well, Lena thought.

She missed the way Alex appraised Lena again, this time with no suspicion in her eyes.

"There," Lena announced as she launched the drones. "I've programmed them to scan the entire area. It'll take several hours, but this way, nobody has to put their lives in danger."

"That. Is. So. Cool," Winn breathed as he watched the drones fly out. "Can I, like… would you mind if I could… can I pilot one?" he squeaked.

She smiled at that. "Sure," she said, getting out of his chair and watching in amusement as he hopped into it and began cackling wildly while piloting one of the drones.

Supergirl chuckled next to her, and Lena couldn't help but smile herself.

"These controls are so smooth," Winn exclaimed, and Supergirl moved to his side, eyes gleaming with excitement.

"Can I try?" she asked, and after Winn quickly explained the controls, she took over for a few minutes, a wide grin breaking on her face. "This is like playing a video game," Supergirl commented, and Lena quirked a brow.

"The goal was to make it easy to operate," Lena said.

"Well, it definitely is," Supergirl said as she turned the drone to the right, where it veered over a particularly rocky outcrop on the canyon wall. "I think it—"

For the briefest moment, the screen lit up with red and yellow light, and then the feed from the drone went dead.

"Oh no," Supergirl cried, leaping out of the chair with her hands up in the air and her eyes wide. "Did I—did I just break it?" she turned to Lena, her hands moving to cover her mouth. "I didn't mean to! I swear, I was just steering it!"

With furrowed brow, Lena glanced at Winn, who immediately sat back down and began typing furiously. "You didn't break it," Lena breathed as she looked over Winn's shoulder, the data on his screen confirming her suspicions.

"Oh, my god," Winn breathed. He turned in his seat, his mouth agape in horror. "CADMUS just blew up the canyons."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I have finals coming up, so the updates might be a bit sporadic, at least until summer. Gotta work, but I'll try to keep a weekly update schedule. Hope y'all enjoyed the chapter.


	6. Chapter 6

"What?" Supergirl cried, eyes widening in shock.

"Theytheythey— _They just blew up the canyons!_ " Winn stuttered, gesturing wildly at his screen, where the feed from the drone had gone blank, and he had pulled up readings that confirmed his statement.

"Why would they do that?" Supergirl asked, crossing her arms. She turned to face Lena, the frown on her face deepening as she met Lena's eyes. "Why blow up the canyons?"

Lena couldn't hold the gaze of those earnest blue eyes, so she broke eye contact and glanced at the floor. "Lex wanted to make a point," she said quietly. She bit her lip as she ran through dozens of scenarios in her head, trying to figure out what exactly Lex was after. "He wanted to stop anyone who was after him."

"My agents, you mean." J'onn said, interrupting. Lena swallowed, then nodded.

"Yes. I knew Lex would do something to prove that he's not to be reckoned with. I knew your agents were in danger," Lena admitted. When she looked into J'onn's dark brown eyes, she felt as if he could see into her soul, as if he knew exactly what she was feeling, this twisting of emotions between horror and shock; torn between feeling fear, and feeling nothing at all. "I didn't know he would go this far, though. I thought he would attack your agents, use his resources to capture them… I never thought…"

A steady hand on her shoulder startled Lena, and she looked into the bright, understanding expression of Supergirl. She squeezed Lena's arm gently. "It's okay, Lena," Supergirl said, her voice more tender than Lena had heard before. It almost reminded her of… "You saved those agents."

"You did," J'onn said, and he nodded slowly and extended his hand. "You have my thanks, on behalf of all of those agents, and all of the DEO. As well as my apologies. When we first met, I wasn't sure that I could trust you—and I know I wasn't alone. But you've more than proved yourself, tonight, and I'm sorry for having doubted you."

Lena stared at his hand until Supergirl nudged her, and she took the proffered hand in a firm shake.

"So," J'onn said, placing his hands on his hips, "How did CADMUS manage to create an explosion that large?"

"I can answer that," Winn said, pulling up charts and information on his screen. "They didn't actually destroy all the canyons—just the area where the drones were entering. Right before everything blew up, the drones picked up a few readings—I'm guessing those were the charges. The explosion was large enough to wipe out all the drones, but most of the canyons are still intact."

"Ms. Luthor," J'onn said, "What do you make of this?"

Lena took a deep breath, considering the possibilities. After a few moments, she said, "Like I said, Lex wants to demonstrate that he's serious. That if anyone interferes, he won't hesitate to do what he thinks is necessary." She swallowed. "I don't know if he would have detonated the explosion if the agents were still there. But we have to assume that he would have—he had to have planted the charges ahead of time. So…" She cleared her throat. "So how did he know when the agents were there? How did he know when to detonate the charges? Why did he wait until the agents had backed out, and the drones were there, instead?"

"Maybe he didn't know," Alex suggested. When everyone gave her a skeptical look, she hurried to continue. "No, I'm serious. What if he only detonated the charges when he thought the DEO agents would have been in the dead center of the blast? The drones didn't find anything as they were flying in—so there was no technology around that they noticed, no cameras for CADMUS to monitor the area with."

Lena's eyes widened. "I think you're right," she said quickly, her thoughts racing. "When did Alana let slip about the canyons? What exact time?"

Alex's eyes narrowed. "I think it was… around one in the morning. One thirty?"

Winn typed some commands into his computer before nodding. "Yeah. One forty-five, on the dot." He blinked twice, frowning, and Lena crossed her arms.

"That's almost exactly twenty four hours after she was captured," Lena said. "That's why she stayed behind, why she uploaded the virus from L-Corp. She wanted to be captured, so that she could feed you the location where Lex had planted the charges. Lex knew the DEO would be after him, so instead of letting you find him, he set Alana up as a red herring—and we fell for it."

"So this was all a trap," Supergirl said, crossing her arms to mirror Lena's stance. "Does that mean we're back to square one?"

Lena shrugged. "Unless you have any information on Lex's whereabouts, we're sort of stuck," she admitted. "He'll reach out at some point, try to contact me. That's all I know for sure."

"Why? You've proved that you're nothing like him or your mother, Lena," Supergirl said. "You've saved National City, and you've helped us every time we've reached out. He should know that, by now."

Lena tucked some hair behind her ear, visibly agitated as she clenched her jaw and drew in a deep breath, her eyes narrowed. "Because he's Lex," she muttered. "He's… recently, the attempts on my life have stopped. He hasn't tried to kill me. Ever since I befriended you, Supergirl, and every national news outlet made a story about it, the attacks have just… stopped." She let out a short, breathy laugh. "Maybe he thinks what everyone else thinks—that I'm just biding my time until you trust me, waiting for the best time to stab you in the back." 

Supergirl frowned, and the thought that Supergirl might be doubting her made Lena's heart sink, until Supergirl said, "You'd never do that. How would he think you would?" And Lena realized the crinkle between Supergirl's eyebrows wasn't suspicion—it was confusion, frustration, that anyone would believe Lena capable of betraying her. This realization, that Supergirl really and truly trusted her, believed in her—just like Kara—it made Lena's heart soar.

"I don't know. Maybe there's a bit of the old Lex still in him, somewhere." The Lex who would always ask if Lena wanted to join in the game he was playing, if she wanted to read the book he'd just finished, if she wanted to help with a new project he'd started. The Lex who she had loved working besides, who she had loved working with. "I don’t know how he'll contact me. But he will." She knew it, with the same certainty that she knew the sun would rise in the morning, after the moon had set.

"Then," Supergirl said, "we need to be ready when he does."

**Author's Note:**

> Ummm... We'll just see where this story goes. If you have any suggestions, I'd love to hear! I have some ideas of where to take this story, but nothing set in stone. Hope y'all enjoy!


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